Main Grain bakes up organic, local goods

Sep. 27, 2013

The Main Grain Bakery is open or business at 1009 First Street Suite C in Stevens Point. The bakery was opened in 2011 by three UWSP graduates who love to cook. / Chris Jones/Gannett Central Wisconsin Media

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Chris Jones

Gannett Central Wisconsin Media

The Main Grain Bakery is famous for its homemade sourdough bread, but it also sells cookies, muffins and cupcakes. The bakery has products sold in other markets now, such as the farmer's market in Wausau. / Chris Jones/Gannett Central Wisconsin Media

About Main Grain Bakery

Jo Ann Karoses starting crafting her baking skills when she moved out of the residence halls at UWSP and into a place with its own kitchen. She is now baking full-time at the Main Grain Bakery. / Chris Jones/Gannett Central Wisconsin Media

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STEVENS POINT — Starting a business in today’s market is difficult enough, but the owners of Main Grain Bakery faced the added challenges of being fresh out of college and inexperienced.

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point class of 2010 graduates and friends Kyle Chivers, Sarah Jo Karoses and Nick Meyer opened the Main Grain Bakery to offer healthy, homemade baked goods to the community, something they began doing at UWSP.

Baking bread began as a hobby out of an apartment Chivers and Meyes shared while going to school. The demand started to rise for their product, and a business became a real idea that they pursued until the grand opening in 2011.

Question: What does your business do, and why is it special?

Answer: Meyer said Main Grain Bakery is an all-organic bakery that is geared toward supporting other local businesses whenever possible — the groundwork for the bakery.

“We make an assortment of artisan breads,” he said. “They’re all made from sourdough … and then we also do a variety of muffins, cupcakes, cookies; usual things you see in a bakery.”

Karoses said she thinks three fresh young college graduates adds uniqueness to the bakery.

“I think being young entrepreneurs is probably the most special part about it,” she said. “I think that’s why a lot of people find it interesting, and they want to support us because we are so young and starting something.”

Chivers said their business is one of the only traditional bakeries in the area that still makes its product on-site using raw ingredients.

Q: Why have you chosen central Wisconsin as a place to do business?

A: “I think this is, like, a new thing for people in this area,” Karoses said. “I guess if you would have started this in a larger city, I think people already know of it and have seen it and it’s not as special. But it’s a smaller community (here), and we’re supported by a lot of community members here.”

“I feel like it’s just easier to start things here because it’s new to them and it’s something they haven’t seen before,” she said.

Q: What’s your long-term vision for the company?

A: “I think eventually, the goal is to do things more traditionally, things like a wood-fired oven,” Meyers said. “The ultimate goal is just to keep doing it.”

Recently, the Main Grain Bakery has been selling its products at the farmer’s market in Wausau and continues to serve the Stevens Point area at 1009 First St. Suite C.